Lead VFX Arist | Chef.fe d’équipe VFX

NBCUniversal is hiring a Lead VFX Artist based in Montreal, Quebec, to join their VFX team and drive visual effects quality on a game production. This role sits at the intersection of real-time VFX pipeline development and team leadership, with direct responsibility for the look and performance of in-game effects from early research through final delivery. It’s the right fit for a senior VFX artist who’s ready to step into a leadership position without stepping away from hands-on creative work.

About the Role

The Lead VFX Artist works within a cross-functional production team alongside Art Directors, Engineers, and Producers to establish the visual effects pipeline and maintain the quality bar across the project. Day-to-day, this means splitting time between building and reviewing effects, mentoring junior and mid-level artists, and solving technical and aesthetic problems as they surface in the production workflow. Montreal’s strong VFX pipeline and game development ecosystem makes this a well-resourced environment to do that work.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain the real-time VFX pipeline, defining technical standards and best practices for the team to build against throughout production.
• Create high-fidelity visual effects that serve the game’s immersive environment, from environmental atmosphere to character and combat effects.
• Mentor a team of VFX artists, reviewing work regularly and providing specific, actionable feedback tied to both quality targets and artist development goals.
• Research emerging real-time VFX techniques and assess their viability for integration into the existing production workflow.
• Partner with Art Directors and Engineers to ensure effects meet both visual and performance requirements across target platforms.
• Champion a team culture built on creative trust, clear communication, and shared ownership of the final product.

What You Bring

• Several years of professional VFX production experience, with at least one shipped title or comparable production credit in a senior or lead capacity.
• Proficiency in real-time VFX tools such as Unreal Engine’s Niagara system or comparable particle and simulation toolsets.
• A portfolio that demonstrates range across environment, character, and gameplay effects at a high level of fidelity.
• Proven ability to lead and develop artists within a production schedule without bottlenecking creative output.
• Strong working knowledge of shader development and how performance constraints shape VFX decisions.

Why This Role

NBCUniversal sits behind some of the most recognized entertainment brands in the world, and this role connects directly to that production infrastructure at the studio level in Montreal. For a Lead VFX Artist looking to shape both a team and a pipeline from a meaningful stage of development, the scope here is real. NBCUniversal has a stated commitment to inclusive team culture and internal development, which matters when you’re evaluating where to put in the hours.

Apply now for the Lead VFX Artist position with NBCUniversal in Montreal and bring your effects work to a production built for scale.